What Plumbing Can You Legally Do Yourself in NSW?

Changing a worn tap washer on a Saturday morning feels like ordinary home maintenance, and in NSW it's one of the few plumbing jobs the law lets you do yourself. So what plumbing can you legally do yourself in NSW? The list is short, it's written into legislation, and it's narrower than many people expect.

This guide sets out the exemption as the law words it, the jobs that need a licensed plumber, why gas is off limits, and what's at stake if you go further. It's general information rather than legal advice, so if you're not sure whether a job is covered, ask a licensed plumber first.

The plumbing jobs NSW lets owners and occupiers do

The Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011 carves out a small category it calls exempt owner/occupier work. That work isn't treated as plumbing and drainage work under the Act, so it doesn't need a licence. In a dwelling, it covers:

• Repairing a tap or showerhead, such as replacing a worn tap washer. Thermostatic mixing valves, tempering valves and backflow prevention devices are specifically left out, so they stay with licensed plumbers.
• Installing water-restricting or flow-regulating devices on tap end fittings, including showerheads.

Who can do it

The owner or occupier of the home, or someone they authorise who isn't paid or otherwise rewarded for the work. A friend can lend a hand for free; someone charging you for it can't rely on the exemption. The Act also notes that excluded work still has to meet other laws, such as the Home Building Act 1989.

Sydney Water says the same in plain terms: if you're confident doing minor work like changing a tap washer, you can do it yourself. Turn the water off first; turning off the water main is covered step by step in our guide.

Jobs that need a licensed plumber

Outside that exemption, NSW requires a licence or certificate for all plumbing, draining and gasfitting work, whatever the job costs and whatever kind of property it's on. Sydney Water's advice is that bigger problems, renovations, and replacing toilets or hot water systems all need a licensed plumber. Jobs that fall outside the exemption include:

• installing new taps or mixers, as opposed to repairing the ones you have (see our tap installation service)
• any work on a thermostatic mixing valve, tempering valve or backflow prevention device
• replacing a toilet, or repairs inside the cistern, which aren't on the exempt list (our guide to why a toilet keeps running explains the usual causes)
• installing or replacing a hot water system
• repairing, extending or relocating drains and sewer pipes
• moving or adding pipes and fixtures during a renovation

The paperwork you should get

Licensed work leaves a paper trail. When a plumber or drainer completes plumbing and drainage work, they must fill out a Certificate of Compliance and hand a copy to the person who organised the job. Sydney Water recommends asking for it, as it's the document confirming compliance with the Plumbing Code of Australia. In the Illawarra, Building Commission NSW audits plumbing and drainage work.

Gas is never a DIY job

There's no gas version of the tap-washer exemption. Any gasfitting work in NSW needs a licence, and NSW Government guidance leaves no room for DIY: gas repairs and renovations, including moving or replacing an appliance, belong with a licensed gasfitter.

The only everyday task outside that is swapping a gas cylinder, such as a barbecue bottle; the rules exclude cylinder changeovers from gasfitting work. Anything on the fixed pipework, a flue or an appliance connection is a job for a licensed gasfitter, who must then issue you a certificate. For how the licence categories split, read does a plumber fix gas?.

Why is going past the exemption a risk?

Doing plumbing, draining or gasfitting work without a licence or certificate is a breach of the Home Building Act 1989, and the NSW Government warns that individuals and companies can be fined for it. That applies whether or not the job seemed minor.

Insurance

Home insurance policies set out what you have to do, and one major insurer's product disclosure statement (PDS) asks policyholders to make sure the home complies with building laws and regulations when alterations or repairs are done. The same PDS excludes damage to the part of the home with faulty or poor workmanship, whether or not you knew about it. Wording varies, so read your own PDS; our guide to whether home insurance covers blocked drains looks at how water damage cover typically works.

Safety

The valves the exemption specifically leaves out do safety jobs: Your Home notes that a tempering valve limits hot water to 50 °C to prevent scalding. Other hot water parts matter too, such as the relief valve, which protects a storage system by relieving excess pressure.

Checking a licence before work starts

For anything beyond the exempt list, look up the tradesperson on Service NSW's licence check, which searches by name, licence number, ABN or suburb. Make sure the licence is current and lists the category the job needs: plumbing for water and sewer work, draining for drains, and gasfitting for gas.

We're fully licensed, with comprehensive insurance, and every job includes fully qualified advice plus a free plumbing safety report. For shower repairs, new tapware or anything else past a tap washer, call 0411 251 759 or see our Wollongong plumbing services.